New Kid on the Block
by TheSonOfApollo2015
Summary: All Mortal AU. Percy Jackson, betrayed by the two most important women in his life, moves to California with his father to start anew. And start anew he does. But what happens when his old friends find him? Read to find out.
1. Chapter 1 Pilot

**Hey guys, I got a new story for ya. I know that really don't do much with The Wolf Pack, but that one is just a side story that I just update whenever I feel like it. The Hooded Hunter is my main story, the one that I try to update a lot, and this is gonna be another one of those. I haven't written a story like this one (obviously) so you'll have to bear with me on this one. Corrective criticism is greatly appreciated, and complements are also excepted with a warm hug. Please don't forget to review and follow, adios.**

My name is Percy Jackson. I am fourteen years old, and possibly one of the dumbest kids in New York City (Infants and toddlers included). I had dyslexia and ADHD, so I had a really tough time with school. I was a real scrawny kid, so I got beat up on a daily bases. I only had a couple of friends, but they were some of the best friends you could ask for. I also had another friend, Annabeth Chase. I grew up with her my whole life, playing together and doing homework together.

She used to be my best friend, but lately, she'd been too busy hanging off of Luke Castellan's every word to be around a loser like me. You see, Luke Castellan was a football player (and a stupid one at that), and he was the school bully. He made my life a living hell for the past year. He was a big, muscular guy, and he had every girl in school wrapped around his finger.

Sadly, Annabeth was one of the girls that he was interested in. All she ever talked about those days was Luke. She just went on and on about how Luke was so great, and how Luke was the nicest guy ever, never realizing how much it hurt me when she talked about him.

I was currently doing my homework with Annabeth at her house, in a comfortable silence, not a word spoken. Being the impatient kid that I was, I decide to start up a conversation. "So, Wise Girl, you wanna go see the new Hunger Games tomorrow?" I asked her as I looked up from my history textbook, which happened to be my worst subject.

"I would, but I'm going with Luke and some of his friends." she told me, a huge smile evident on her face, to which I had to push down a grimace. You might have guessed this by now, but I had a rather large crush on Annabeth. We met when we were four, just a couple of innocent little kids on the swings in Central Park.

"Oh", I said simply, as I looked back down at my textbook, a thin sheet of tears covered my eyes, blurring my vision slightly. I blinked them back immediately, not wanting her to feel bad. "You shouldn't be spending so much time with him, Annabeth. The guy's a jerk. He doesn't deserve someone like you." I told her quietly, trying to not sound threatening.

"What's that supposed to mean, huh?! You think you can make decisions for me?! You don't own me, Seaweed Brain!" she yelled at me. I flinch under her glare. That was one of the few things that scared me, my best friend being mad at me.

"I wasn't telling you what to do, Annabeth. I was just making a suggestion. He isn't the guy you think he is. He is tearing our friendship apart with an evil smile on his face." I told her calmly.

"Liar! He's a much better guy than YOU! Your just a weak little idiot that doesn't know an A from an O!" she yelled at me. When she finished degrading me, I looked at her with an obvious look of betrayal, picked up my stuff, and walked out of her room, and out of her house. Tears were freely falling from my face when I walked out the door, her mother asking me what happened.

I paid her no mind as I walked home, my eyes puffy from the tears, my vision so blurry, I could barely see. I made it home quickly, walking up the stairs to my apartment. My mom, Sally Jackson, and my dad, Poseidon Jackson, greeted me as I walk in, but I ignored them as I walk into my room and slam the door, jumping face first onto my bed. I was bawling my eyes out, not wanting to believe what just happened.

I couldn't believe that my best friend of ten years just betrayed and abandoned me. That asshole Luke hated me with ever fiber of my being for no reason, and he wanted nothing more than to watch me suffer. And suffer I did. For the next week, I barely spoke, even to my best friends. Annabeth sat with Luke at lunch, and Grover Underwood, Lee Fletcher, my two best friends, and I sat at our table.

It was a warm Thursday morning in late May, the 31st, when I got onto the school bus. It didn't take long to get to school, only about fifteen minutes, what with having to pick up every one else that rode the bus. When we arrived, I walked out of the bus from my seat in the middle and into the school. I had barely walked in the door when I sensed trouble.

Luke, Jake Mason, and Ethan Nakamora, my own personal tormentors, came walking up to me, feral grins on their faces. I just grinned back at them, hoping to avoid a beating. Let the record show that it was a futile attempt. I got the same beating as always. The kicks, punches, elbows, knees, crude insults, the list goes on and on. By the time they were done, I had missed my first period, History. That was the only good thing that came out of the beatings. I missed my worst and least favorite subject.

They stopped when the bell rang, not wanting anyone to see what they did to me. They walked out of the front entrance and walked back in a minute later, as if just arriving. Luke saw Annabeth and walked up to her. He started flirting with her and she paid me no mind, as if I didn't even exist. That was what always hurt the most. I could take the beatings and insults, those just made me stronger. It was the flirting with Annabeth that really hurt. That was tearing me down more than anything. And the worst part? She flirted right back!

I got up off the floor and decided that I couldn't take it anymore. I ran out of the building and to my house. My dad had left that morning for a business trip to Florida. My dad, Poseidon, works as a Marine Biologist, traveling the country to research aquatic animals. He wasn't supposed to be back until Sunday, so imagine my surprise when I find his old Charger (old enough to have two doors and not four) in front of our building.

I ran up the stairs to our floor. I heard my mother scream and yell 'stop' to someone. I immediately unlock the door and walk inside to find my English teacher, Mr. Blofis, naked on the floor, blood pouring from his nose. I looked away from him to my father, knuckles bloody and face contorted in absolute rage. I looked from him to my mother, who was obviously naked, hiding under the covers of their bed.

It took me a moment to process everything, but then, it hit me like a fire truck. My mom had an affair with my fucking English teacher! I was pissed off at my mother. I looked at her in disgust, not being able to believe that my mother, the best mother EVER, had done something so vile and piggish. I gasped at the sight, mouth hanging agape. Everyone turned to me, previously unaware of my presence.

My father cast one last look of betrayal at my mother before turning to me, eyes softening noticably.. "Son, pack your things. We're leaving." he told me simply. I could only nod numbly as I backed out of the room. I ran straight to my room, getting a back pack and suitcase and packing up all my essentials, like clothes, shoes, hats, etc.

I walked out after packing to find my father by the door, my mother, wrapped in a blanket, begging him not to go. "Please, Poseidon, please! I'm so sorry! I am so so sorry!" my mother pleaded as she cried and cried. My dad opened the door and we walked out. My mother obviously wasn't in any shape to chase after us, seeing as she was naked.

Dad and I got into his his charger and we sped off, leaving skid marks on the road as we went. We drove straight to the airport. "Percy, I know this is sudden and we didn't have time to plan, but... we're moving to California." he told me solemnly. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to leave my friends behind, but then again... I deserved this. I needed a new start. A chance to be somebody that everyone knows and a cool, athletic guy. I was gonna get that chance.

**Hey guys, thanks for reading. I really hope you enjoyed, please let me know what you think of it. I know I made it all go pretty quick and I know that it's going really fast, but I am pretty excited. I'm planning on doing like one chapter of his life in Cali, then they're gonna move back to NYC, not positive on that though. Well guys, really hope y'all enjoyed, don't forget to review and follow, Adios.**

**Your loyal author,**

**-TheSonOfApollo**


	2. Chapter 2 A New Beginning

**Hey guys, I hope y'all enjoyed the last chapter, I know it was rushed and all, but I was just really interested in getting to the point after Cali. Also, I got in a car wreck this last Friday, and even though no one was hurt, I was pretty tense and shaken up by it. This chapter and maybe next chapter will be in Cali because I will be explaining how Percy's life is gonna change and all of his experiences. Please don't forget to review and follow, Adios.**

The flight to Los Angeles, where my dad and I were moving, took about six hours. I got the window seat and listened to music the whole time. My dad did pretty much the same thing, just with a few tears in his eyes every now and then. I knew it was painful for him to see his wife, whom he had loved for so long and so unconditionally, just betray him and do something so vile and disgusting.

When we landed, it was about three in the afternoon. We rented a sedan from the local Enterprise and drove to the house that my dad had found. It was right on the beach, two stories, three bedrooms, four bath, a gym in the basement with weights, and the exterior made entirely of stone (Think Michael's house in GTA 5). it had a pool and two car garage. With a fountain directly in front of the garage about twenty feet away. It was an awesome house, and with my dad's job and the amount of money he made and the great stocks that he invested in, he bought the house.

After unpacking our bags, he went car shopping. While he did that, I walked around the neighborhood, hoping to get to know the area a little better. I had put on my red swim trunks and white 'Team USA' t-shirt. I slid on some flip flops and walked out the side door, which led straight to the beach. I looked at the water, and it was crystal clear **(I don't actually know what anything in LA looks like cause I've never been, so I'm kinda goin off GTA 5 here)**. The beach was kinda crowded, but there was plenty of room.

I started walking down the beach a little ways, just checking everything out. I hadn't walked a hundred feet before someone came and spoke to me. The guy was pretty big, about 6'1", sandy blonde hair, electric blue eyes, and muscles. The guy looked pretty imposing, but for some reason, I wasn't intimidated by him. He gave off this aura of leadership and friendliness.

"Hey, I'm Jason Grace. I see your new in town. You on vacation or just movin' here?" he asked with a big smile on his face. I grinned back at him and shook his outstretched hand.

"Percy Jackson. I just moved here with my dad." I told him simply, giving him a firm handshake. His smile grew even wider, if that was even possible.

"Great! Always love to have new people around. Wanna play some volleyball?" he asked like we had been friends for years.

"Nah, man, I'm good. I gotta get back soon and finish helping my dad, but maybe another time." I told him shaking my head. He nodded grimly, but smiled one last time.

"I'll see ya around, man." he said as he walked back over to his friends and continued playing volleyball **(I'm not gonna bother describing everyone else, it's just Piper, Hazel, Frank, Leo, Nico, and Reyna)**. I walked back home to see my dad's new Silver 2012 Corvette ZR1 with a soft top. I grinned from ear to ear, greeting my dad while staring at it.

"Wanna go for a ride?" my dad asked me with his own lopsided grin, to which I nodded excitedly. We got in and my dad put her in gear and stepped on the gas. "It's illegal to speed, but it ain't illegal to speed up fast!" my dad said smiling.

I was having a great time myself. We went from 0-40 in under five seconds, which was pretty impressive, considering my dad wasn't pressing the pedal all the way to the floor. We just drove to the Santa Monica Pier and back, since our house was only a couple miles away, but it was a lot of fun.

After we got back, we went inside and my dad said that he wanted to talk to me. "Percy, I know that we just got here, but this is our new start. I know that you don't want what happened in New York to ever happen again, and the best way to do that, is to be yourself, but a new you. I want you to promise me that you will do your absolute best in school and try your hardest in everything that you do, and I want you to use the gym in the basement as much as possible. I know that you don't want to be laughed at, and you won't, but your life will be easier if you look good." he told me, ending it off with a smile.

I nodded my response, understanding what he was saying and not wanting to let my father, the most important person in my life, down. We stood up and he gave me a hug, which was rare, and went up to his room. I went to my room and changed into some more athletic clothes, then went down to the gym, and started working out. I knew from what other people had said, that once you see results in the gym, your never gonna be satisfied. I didn't wanna be satisfied. I wanted to be the sexiest there was. And I showed that through my commitment.

LINE BREAK

It was July 1st, hot as the devils asshole. It had been about a month and a half, and I had been working out constantly. I hardly ever left the house unless I was riding my bike to the nearby grocery store to get more Weigh Protein or Pre-Workout, or I was out on the beach for a run. I made great progress quickly.

When we arrived, I weighed about 100 lbs. But after a month, I weight about 120 lbs. And that was all muscle. My dad hadn't bothered to enroll me in a school since there was only about thirty days left in the semester, so I had a lot of free time. I still wasn't that big, but I was very well toned, with an obvious six pack and rippling muscles all over.

In our time here, my dad had loosened up a lot. He wasn't as stern as he was before, and he was a lot of fun to be around. I didn't get to hang out with him much though, because he had to work almost every day.

Around June 20ish, I went and found Jason and his friends again and hung out with them at the beach. I introduced myself to everybody, and turns out, they were really nice. Of course, Jason dated the hottest girl of the bunch, Piper McLean, while Nico dated the second hottest, Reyna Ramirez. Frank and Hazel were a couple, and Leo was the single one of the bunch, but he certainly didn't seem to mind. He was the seemingly happiest of anyone I had ever met!

We had hung out a few times after that, of course. Like July 1st, I was hanging out with them, just talking about miscellaneous things, like sports, cars, motorcycles, you name it, we probably talked about it.

"Hey, Perce, you wanna come to our 4th of July party?" Jason asked, to which everyone else nodded, asking the same.

"Yea, sure. Where's it gonna be at?" I asked excitedly. I had never been to a party before, so I was eager to finally attend one.

"A couple miles down that way, there's a boat dock. We have it down there every year. It's a tradition, sorta." he said with the same big, friendly grin that he wore all the time. I gave him my signature lopsided grin and stood up, brushing off my swim trunks.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, I believe I'm gonna go home. I gotta go to the store and get some grub." I told them, and as if on cue, my stomach rumbled like a giant rising from the ground **(Get it?)**. They laughed and said their adios' and I walked back home.

Once inside, I grabbed my Iphone, wallet, a backpack, and a t-shirt, and rode my bike to the store, where I got weigh protein, pre workout, and protein bars **(Yes, I know it sounds like he lives off protein, but he eats other stuff too)**. When I got home, I put the stuff in the kitchen and got something to eat.

It was about 9 PM by then, so I decided to go to bed. I walked upstairs and into my room. I put on some gym shorts and took off my shirt, and before I get could get in bed, I hear something fall behind me. I turn around to see a picture of me and Annabeth in Central Park. I remembered that day well. We were 12, it was the summer of my 13th birthday. We had been at the Empire State Building, where Annabeth bored me to hell and back with a bunch of different facts about the architecture of the building and blah blah bah.

In the picture, you could see a barely visible, ghost of a smile playing on my lips, and Annabeth was full on laughing. She looked beautiful. Tears started to well up in my eyes as I thought about that time, and I put the picture on my dresser in the corner of my room. After that, I got in bed and almost immediately let sleep consume me.

**Hey guys, thanks so much for reading, I really hope you enjoyed. I know that I sound like a real nerd with all the GTA 5 references, but that is the kind of house that I would like to have and I really don't know too much about LA, and GTA 5 seems pretty accurate with their stuff, so just imagine that LA looks like Los Santos. Well, please let me know what you think by reviewing and following the story. Adios!**

**Your loyal author,**

**-TheSonOfApollo**


	3. Chapter 3 A Party to Remember

Hey** guys, thank you so much for all the positive feedback, I really really appreciate it. I am planning on having this story be pretty long, probably longer than my other story, The Hooded Hunter, is at the moment. Anyways, somebody said** something** about Percy staying in Cali for one year, but I'm gonna keep him there until he's at least 17, because I have some plans for the future of the story, and he needs to be older than 16 for them. Sorry if that disappoints you, but I have plans and I plan to stick to them. Also, there won't be any Percabeth until like the fifth chapter or later, and even if in fifth, it's just gonna be a bit of fluff.**

**Percy will be getting a girlfriend soon, and I'm sure most of you will like her, and Poseidon is also going to get one, and I bet you can't guess who. I know it's kinda weird that I used Lee Fletcher as one of Percy's nerd friends, and I would've used Nico, but I wanted Nico and Jason for the future. Trust me on this guys, there is method to my madness and I hope it is a method that everyone will greatly enjoy. Don't forget to review and follow, Adios!**

It was July 4th, the day of the Party. I had some seriously sweet clothes picked out. I was gonna wear my American flag swim trunks and my Team USA t-shirt that I wore the first day here. I had put on some serious muscle, so the shirt was much tighter on me, but it still fit pretty well.

The party was to start at about 4 PM, and it was 3 PM when I was getting ready. After I finished, I got a quick bite to eat from the kitchen and began walking to the party spot, AKA the boat dock. It took me about thirty minutes to get there, so I still had a bit of time to spare. I saw Jason and Leo setting up some fireworks, so I went over there to talk to them.

"Yo, if it isn't Firefly and Sparky!" I called out to them when I was about fifteen yards away. They immediately looked up, scowling at their nicknames.

"Firefly?! Where the hell did you come up with that!" Leo asked with a questioning look.

"I can just imagine you lighting your ass on fire, which would make you look like a firefly." I told him seriously, then I burst out laughing at his mocking hurt look.

"And where, pray tell, did you come up with sparky?" Jason asked incredulously, an irritated look obvious on his face.

"Your eyes remind me of lighting. Plus, your dad's name is Jupiter, who just happens to be the Roman god of Lighting. Coincidence? I think snot." I told him with a huge smile plastered on my face. He, too, gave me an incredulous look, but soon began laughing as well.

By the time we were done with that conversation, more people began to show up. Most of them were your typical stereotype California-ners, blonde hair, blue eyes, big build for guys. None of them really caught my eye, until I spotted one girl.

She had auburn red hair, striking silver eyes, a petite, agile build, and long tan legs. She wore silver Jean shorts and an American flag t-shirt. She looked absolutely stunning, and she walked with an air of confidence, like she didn't care what anyone thought about her. She was walking to the docks with a group of friends, all completely different in look, but they got along like sisters.

There were two black haired girls, one with electric blue eyes, like Jason's, and one with volcanic black eyes. They were both about the same height, same build, and the same heir of leadership that Jason had. Another girl had caramel hair, sun-kissed skin, and a petite build, along with volcanic black eyes. All four of them were dressed pretty much the same, they just wore different colored jean shorts.

Jason saw me looking at them and beckoned them over, sending me a mischievous smile. They walked over to us while I talked to Leo about the fireworks.

"Percy, this is my sister, Thalia, and her friends, Artemis, Zoe, and Calypso." he said, pointing to each one respectively, but switching Thalia and Artemis. I nodded to them politely, and continued my conversation with Leo, acting as though I didn't care that much. "Percy is new, he just moved in last month, so play nice, he isn't used to the rough and tough Californians." he said, winking at me as he finished.

I just huffed and retaliated. "Please, you've never seen New Yorkers. They're the toughest of 'em all." I stated proudly. He and Leo chuckled lightly. "You haven't seen rough till you've seen a whole bar-full of drunk guys terrorizing Central Park." they all laughed lightheartedly at that.

"So, you're a Yanky, huh?" asked Calypso. "Not many of them around here. What brings ya to this neck of the woods?" she asked curiously. I fought back a cringe, but it made appeared shortly anyways.

"... I had a bad experience." I said simply, which earned twelve raised eyebrows (Six people, two eyebrows per person, so twelve) that I ignored in earnest.

"And, pray tell, what was this bad experience?" asked Thalia, who was tapping her foot impatiently. As if on cue, my iphone started ringing in my pocket. I sent a silent thank you to the Man Upstairs, and looked at my phone.

"Ah, shit. I gotta take this." I said quickly as I walked away. It was Lee Fletcher calling me from New York.

"WHAT THE HELL, PERCY? YOU JUST UP AND FUCKING DISAPEAR WITHOUT EVEN A GOODBYE? WHAT KIND OF BEST FRIEND ARE YOU?!" he yelled through the phone. I cringed, having totally forgotten about my friends.

"I'm sorry man, I didn't exactly have a two week notice. Hell, I didn't have a two hour notice! My dad and I just got on a plane and left. We didn't exactly stop to think about anyone else. I'm really sorry, Lee, I was just so angry and then I get to LA, and I get friends, and I just totally forgot, man, I'm sorry!" I told him, rapid fire, obvious regret lacing my voice. I heard him sigh quietly.

"Did you just say something about friends?" he asked in shock. I chuckled lightly at that.

"Yes, I have friends. And not just two, multiple, and I am actually at a party with them right now." I tell him with a chuckle. I guess I stunned him into silence, because he didn't say anything for a minute.

"Well hell, Perce, don't quit partying on account of me. Just remember to call sometime. And call Grover, too. He's been worried sick about you. Literally." he told me.

"Alright man, I will. Talk to ya later bud." I told him and hung up. I turned around and realized that I had walked about 100 yards from the docks. I began walking back, but I heard a scream from an ally way nearby. I ran over to it to see a sight that both shocked and angered me.

Artemis was being pinned down by some guy that looked kind of like me. The same raven black hair, muscle-y body, about 6'1". I ran over and tore the guy off her. He recoiled slightly when he saw me. I guess he was surprised by my appearance.

"Back off, asshole!" I yelled at him, but he just got this malicious smile, and began slowly stalking toward us. I stood protectively in front of Artemis, while she cried silently.

When he got close enough, I lunged at him, punching him right in the nose. It hurt my hand, but I continued on. I kicked him in the ribs as hard as I could and he clutched them for dear life. He made a sudden recovery and came up swinging, jabbing me right in the jaw. I stumbled back, but regained my bearings quickly.

I quickly took note that there was a small crowd gathering at the entrance of the tunnel. After recovering, I charged and punched him right in the chest, then kicked him in the stomach, causing him to double over again. I took advantage of it this time, and kicked him right in the head. He went down, groaning in pain.

I walked over to him, lifted him up by his collar, and punched him as hard as I could in the temple. He went out like a light. I dropped him and sighed in relief. Everyone began cheering, and I smiled slightly to myself. No sooner had I recovered my breath and bearings had Jason and Nico come running through the crowd, skidding to a stop right in front of us, followed closely by Artemis' friends.

"Artemis, hey, you okay? You need to go to the hospital?" Jason asked her frantically. She shook her head, and turned to me.

"Thanks, I don't wanna imagine what would've happened if you hadn't showed up." she said to me, a small smile gracing her lips. I replied with my signature lopsided grin, before Nico noticed me and came rushing over.

"Man, you look like shit, Perce." Nico said calmly as he examined my face. I was sure that my nose was broken, and my jaw felt like hell.

"Thanks, Neeks, I really needed that." I told him with a halfhearted chuckle. Nico scaled at the nickname.

"Dude, we need to get you to the emergency room, get that pretty face of yours fixed up." Jason said, grabbing my shoulder as he pulled me out of the ally. Everyone parted slightly, allowing us to pass.

"Nah, man. I'm perfectly fine. I feel like a million bucks. Well, if a million bucks stampeded me and then shat on me, then yea." I told him sarcastically.

"Man, I worry about your sanity sometimes. You just beat the shit out of Orion Hunt, a Sophomore in high school." he waited for any sort of recognition from me, before continuing with a sigh. "Come on, lets go ya big piece of protein." he said jokingly as he dragged me off to hail a cab. I turned around and saw Artemis. I smiled at her and waved, which she reciprocated. _Man, she sure does look pretty_, I thought to myself as we entered a cab and drove off.

After about an hour of getting patched up, the sun was still up, so we decided to go back to the party. We got a cab and made it back before 8, just as the sun was setting on the horizon. When we got out of the cab, everyone greeted me like I was a hero. We walked around, trying to find our friends, and we found them right on the shore of the beach, chatting and swimming in the water. When they saw us, they smiled and waved us over.

I looked at Jason, and a silent understanding passed between us. We both took our shirts off and ran toward Piper and Artemis, who were both sitting on the beach in their bikinis, picking them up and carrying them into the ocean, laughing all the way. It ended up being a great day, some awesome fireworks, and plenty of friends. A new life I was living.

**Well guys, I bet you weren't expecting that. I will be introducing Poseidon's girlfriend next chapter, so be excited for that. I really hope y'all enjoyed, please remember to review and follow. **

**Your loyal author,**

**-TheSonOfApollo**


	4. Chapter 4 A Birthday to Remember

**Hey guys, I really really really appreciate the feedback that I've been getting. Trust me when I say this guys, I have no intentions of discontinuing this story. Some of you are really wanting Pertamis, and some are really wanting Perachel, but I am going to do Pertamis during Percy's time in Cali. I have some big plans for these next couple of chapters, so stay tuned. Also, if I'm being very vague about something, it's probably because I don't know much about California, or New York for that matter, because I live in the south east. I will look stuff up though, so that I can be as specific and accurate as possible. Some stuff I have looked up, and it's really hard to explain and it's just boring so I won't share specifics on that.**

**Well, I really you guys enjoy, be ready for some Poseidon womanizing, because it is about time he gets another woman. And I bet just about no one is going to guess who it is that he's gonna date. Well guys, please be sure to read, review, and follow for more. Btw, thanks for clearing up the 'Air' thing for me. Adios!**

Do you know the difference between having a birthday when you have friends, and having one when you don't have friends? It is very different in a lot of ways. Like for instance, I get gifts from friends, like a motorcycle helmet, that, at the time, had no use for and had no idea why I got it. Or motorcycle riding gloves, which I still had no use for, or how about that riding jacket that I got? **(Do you see this going anywhere?)** Well, I just hung that stuff up in my closet.

I had always wanted a motorcycle, so I hoped that that stuff would, one day, come in handy, but at that time, I still had one more present to open. Well... two, because Artemis wanted to save her's for second to last, since my dad was going last.

"So, Arty, what'd you get me?" I asked her for the millionth time. She just smiled at me, a knowing smile, that slightly unnerved me, but also excited me to no end.

"Just wait, like, two more minutes. Close your eyes, and no peeking.." she said with a slight giggle, so slight, I could barely hear it. You see, over the month, since I had saved her from Orion the Asshole, she and I had become good friends. We went to the movies together, went to dinner together, went surfing together, which I had quickly learned how to do, thanks to Jason and Nico's excellent teaching, but don't tell them I said that. Of course, Artemis and I did all of this as friends, there wasn't any intimacy... or at least, I didn't think there was.

To be perfectly honest, I had a huge crush on Artemis. I was pretty sure that these feelings weren't reciprocated, though, so I kept my attitude in check, and my emotions on the sidelines, not wanting to ruin this already great friendship that we had developed. It was about this time that I noticed we had walked onto the beach, or what I assumed was the beach, based on the sand in my toes

"Okay, you can look now." she told me excitedly. I readily opened my eyes to see something I was not expecting. There in front of me, was a two person dinner table, two chairs set at each end, two plated, both covered by a silver dish, silver wear, napkins, and finally, a candle in the middle. This all lay on a blue table cloth, which hung down the sides of the table.

I looked over at Artemis with a surprised look, then smiled brightly at her. She smiled back and led me by the hand to the table. "I gotta tell you, Arty, this is not at all what I was expecting. You've really out done yourself." I told her with a chuckle. She giggled again, and I pulled her chair out for her to sit in, before moving to the other side and sitting down.

"Well, I wanted to do something special for you, obviously, and my mother is an amazing cook, so she helped me make you a sea side dinner." she told me. "I'm really glad you like, even though you haven't even seen the food yet."

"I don't need to see it. I already know that it's gonna be great." I told her, as I pulled the dish off of the plate. What I saw was another big surprise. On the plate, was a Lobster tail, a 10oz rib-eye stake, mashed potatoes, with gravy covering them, and green beans. I looked up at here again. "You made this?" I asked her in shock. She blushed, but nodded.

"Thank you so much. I can't believe that you went to all this trouble just for my birthday. How can I ever repay you?" I asked dramatically, which she responded to with her beautiful laugh. We dug in without another word, and finished the same way. Afterwards, we just sat on the beach, talking about funny experiences, telling jokes, the funniest pick-up lines we could think up, Greg Bates playing in the background. **(I bet no one can guess what song I'm talking about. Comment if you know, I'll tell y'all in the next chapter AN. I'll just go ahead and tell you that it's in the Greg Bates-EP)**

"Oh man, this has been the best day of my life. Thank you." I told her, a thankful smile gracing my lips. She smiled her perfect, gorgeous smile back.

"Well, I'm glad that I could be a part of it. I really enjoyed it too." she replied, a playful smile also gracing her features.

"You were probably the biggest part of that, truthfully. And I am really glad that we're such good friends." I told her sincerely.

"Yea, well, your gonna like tomorrow even better." she told me. I gave her a questioning look. "You know that I can't tell you. It would totally ruin the surprise. Just remember to thank your dad when he gives it to you."

I groaned slightly, but then smiled, an idea coming to mind. We were both in our swimwear, her in a silver bikini, that somehow seemed modest, yet sexy, me in some white and blue swim trunks. I turned to her really quickly, picked her up and ran into the ocean. She was screaming in surprise, but she soon began laughing in delight as we were submerged in water.

We played in the water for about an hour, at around 7:30 PM. We were both pretty exhausted, but we were still laughing and talking like old friends. We sat back on the beach, still talking. _There is never a dull moment with this girl_, I thought to myself. There wasn't an awkward pause all night, we just spoke our mind and listened to what the other had to say.

The first few days after I saved her, we were just about all awkward pauses, but we had grown so close, we didn't have to worry about offending the other by bringing up a topic. Of course, we never discussed intimate relationships, like crushes or past boyfriends/girlfriends. That was one topic that neither of us were willing to delve into, yet.

"You know, I feel like I've known you for years. It's like we know each other like the back of our own hands." she said, a slightly dreamy look adorning her beautiful features. And she was truly beautiful, and not just in looks. She was a beautiful person on the inside, too. That was the difference between her and a lot of the California girls I had met thus far. They were all really pretty, but they were ugly people.

"I feel the exact same way. Like, I could share anything and everything with you, and know that it's in good hands, you know?" I replied, the same look on my own face. She smiled at me suddenly, like I just made her the happiest person in the world.

We stared into each others eyes, just looking, searching for something. I began leaning forward slightly, and she did too. We were just inches apart, our breath tickling each others lips. I suddenly leaned forward, and our lips met. The only thing I felt, was ecstasy. Our lips were locked, battling for dominance.

I rolled on top of her, our lips never parting. I put my elbows on the ground and grabbed her by her hips firmly. She moaned slightly into my mouth, and licked my bottom lip, asking for entrance. I was sort of surprised that she was the one escalating this, but I obliged and opened my mouth. Our tongues wrestled for a minute, before I let her win, allowing her to explore my mouth.

Our lips stayed locked for a good five minutes, before we had to break apart for air. We were grinning widely at each other, our affection for one another was obvious in our eyes. "Artemis, I got somethin' to tell you." I told her between breaths.

"Yea?" came her simple reply.

"I really like you. Oh! And your a really good kisser." I told her as an after thought. She blushed, but giggled.

"I really like you too. And your not too bad, yourself." she replied, a big smile stretched across her face, showing off her beautiful white teeth.

We heard clapping from up ahead, further inland. We looked up to see Jason and his gang and Thalia and her gang, all clapping for us and hollering.

"About damn time, Perce! I was startin to think you didn't have the balls!" yelled Jason. Everyone else laughed, while Artemis and I were blushing like mad. I looked back down at her and luridly got off. I extended my hand to help her up. She accepted it gratefully, and stood up.

"What're you guys doing here?" I asked them curiously. They all blushed, but Nico answered.

"We just wanted to see how your date would go." he admitted nervously. I gave him a blank look.

"Hey, Neeks, do you have your phone on you?" I asked him innocently.

"No, I left it in the car, why?" he asked me accusingly. I smiled innocently at him, before I started walking towards him, that smile turning into an insane grin, and he started backing up slowly, but I picked up my pace a little, and he started running away, with me chasing him. I soon caught him, and threw him over my shoulder and carried him to the ocean. He was kicking and screaming behind me, and everyone else was laughing.

When we arrived at the water, I tossed him in as far as I could throw him. He was screaming all the way, but it was a truly hilarious scene. He hit the water with a distinct 'splash'. He swam back to shore, sopping wet and huge frown adorning his emo-like features.

"Alright guys, I think we should all be getting back around now. Y'all wanna come over to my place?" I asked them, to which they all nodded. We arrived there, and saw something unexpected. Not only was my dad's Corvette in the driveway, but there was also a sleek white Mercedes Benz. "I wander who that is." I said, more to myself than my friends.

I opened the door and walked in to see my father and some woman, who was, admittedly, very beautiful. "Ah, Percy! I didn't know you'd be home so soon. Oh, excuse me, where are my manners. Percy, this is my friend, Hera Gamos. Hera, this is my son, Percy, and his friends." he introduced, I smiled kindly to her, which she returned without the least bit of malice or discomfort.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you. Glad to see my dad finally dating again." I told her with a lopsided grin. She blushed crimson, but made no attempt to correct me. My didn't look much different, though, so I assumed I was spot on.

"It's nice to meet you, too." she told me, her smile never wavering.

"These are my friends, Artemis, Jason, Thalia, Nico, Leo, Calypso, Zoe, Piper, Hazel, and Frank." I introduced her, and she gave them all a warm smile. "Well, we're gonna go hang out, but you two have fun... but not too much fun." I said, winking at my dad as he blushed. We walked outside and sat by the beach. _What a wonderful day_, I thought to myself, as the sun set, and the stars appeared.

**Well guys, I really hope you enjoyed. I bet you weren't expecting Poseidon and Hera, and I, personally, was having an internal debate about choosing her or Hestia, but I, obviously, ended up choosing Hera. Please don't forget to review and try and guess the song that Percy and Artemis were listening to. I will state the song at the end of the next chapter in the AN, and I will also be unveiling Percy's gift from his father, and if you can guess what that is, congrats. Well, I will see you all in the next chapter! Adios!**

**Your loyal author,**

**-TheSonOfApollo**


	5. Chapter 5 The Gift of a Lifetime

**Hey guys, sorry for taking so long, I went hunting this weekend, as I do most weekends, and I didn't take my laptop for obvious reasons. I hope you guys enjoyed the last one, but I guess not a lot of people did, because I didn't get much feedback. I hope y'all like this one better, though, because I'm finally getting to the chapter I have been planning for. Now, you might have notice that I changed the summery slightly, and therefore, the plot/ending. The reason for that, is I really prefer writing with him in California, rather than New York. I know this might upset some of you readers, but this is my story, and I'm only writing this because I want to. I hope you enjoy, please don't forget to review and follow. Adios.**

Do you ever get that feeling when you wake up, that today's gonna be a great day? Well that's the feeling that I had the day after my birthday, except times like five. I felt like it was gonna be as good a day as my actual birthday had been. After taking a shower, brushing my teeth, and getting dressed, I walked downstairs to eat some breakfast.

I made myself some eggs and bacon, and after demolishing that, my dad walked in, a huge grin on his face. "Hey, Percy, you ready for your last birthday present?" he asked me excitedly, as if he was the one receiving the present.

"Shoot yea, pops. I've been ready for days!" I exclaimed ecstatically. He grinned at that.

"Well then, lets go open it!" he said as he led me outside, which made me wander, what had he gotten me that I would have to open outside?

We walked out the front door, into the driveway, to see all my friends leaning against their respective cars, or their boyfriends ride. I saw that Jason and Nico had rode their motorcycles, Piper and Reyna having rode bitch.

They all smiled when they saw me walk out, and I smiled back, suspicion clearly etched on my face. They chuckled and/or giggle in response.

"I wanted your friends to see your face when you open it." my dad told me, amusement evident in his eyes. I gave him an incredulous look, which earned a chuckle from him.

When we reached the garage, my dad pressed the 'open' button on the remote, and the door opened slowly. When it was high enough for my to see in, I gasped at what I saw. There, in the middle of the garage, was a white Ninja 300. It was clean as a whistle, the paint shining in the sunlight. My hand flew to my mouth, complete shock clear on my face, in my eyes, and in my posture.

I walked over to it slowly, as if it would disappear if I startled it. When I got to it, I laid my hands on it softly, running them over the perfectly smooth surface. I swung my leg over the side, and it felt like the bike was made for me (Which, knowing my father, probably was). The keys were in the ignition, and as I turned the bike on, I revved the engine slightly, feeling the vibration of the vehicle. It sounded like angels singing in my ears.

"Well? Do you like it?" my dad asked as he stepped beside me, a knowing grin splayed across his firm face. Faster than should've been possible, I turned the bike off, got off, and gave him a huge bear hug. He chuckled and returned it.

"Thanks, old man." I said jokingly. He had a mock hurt look on his face as my friends laughed. My father was by no means old. He was barely 38, and right in the middle of his prime.

"You mind if I take it for a spin?" I asked. He nodded in response, so I went to my room to get my gear, and took her for a spin.

TIME SKIP: 4 MONTHS

"Hey, Dad, there's this motor show in San Francisco that Jason and Nico are going to. Can I go?" I asked him excitedly. It had been four months since I got my bike, and I had been riding it all the time. I rode with Jason and Nico a lot, since they both had Ninja 300's, too.

"And how far is it from here to San Fran?" my dad asked without looking up from the news paper that he was currently reading.

"About 380 miles. We'll be riding our bikes, and I can pay for gas. It's a two day event, so we'll be staying in a hotel." I told him, slightly more confident.

"What would that drive be, 6 hours?" he asked, though he seemed to already know.

"Yes sir, pretty much." I responded immediately.

"Well, I suppose you can. As long as you're extremely careful. And call me when you get there. By the way, when are you leaving?" he asked as he looked up for the first time.

"Tomorrow at 10 am." I told him. He nodded, and sent me off.

I went and told Jason and Nico, then went to see Artemis. I got to her house and knocked on the door quickly. I was greeted by her mother, Leto, a very nice woman that seemed to adore me for some reason or another. "Hey, Mrs. Leto, Artemis here?" I greeted/asked her kindly.

"She sure is, Percy. She's in her room." she told me, her motherly smile adorning her kind face. Leto was a very attractive woman, and that was probably where Artemis got her looks. I walked inside their house, more like mansion, and was about to walk up the stairs, only to be greeted by her always stern father, Zeus.

"Ah, Perseus, what brings you here?" he asked, using my full name, an irritated look on his face.

"I just came to see Artemis. I'm going to San Francisco tomorrow, just wanted to say bye." I told him respectfully. He nodded in response, the look on his face never changing.

"Well, you two don't do anything bad up there, or I'll feed you to the birds." he told me sternly, eliciting a nod from me.

The next morning, I woke up at about eight am. I went through my morning routine, shower, brush teeth, get dressed in my riding clothes, eat breakfast, and to end it off, I packed my backpack. By the time I was done, it was about 9:30, and the guys were arriving. Jason and Nico's electric blue and black bikes, respectively, pulled into the driveway at a fast pace.

I went out to greet them, and by the time we had everything planned out and were ready to go, it was 10 am. I got out my Ninja, and we were off. We stopped periodically for gas or food, and by the time we reached the San Francisco city limits, it was about 5 pm.

"The meet up doesn't start until six, so you guys wanna just ride around for a bit?" Jason suggested as we pulled into a McDonald's parking lot. Nico and I both nodded, so we began riding. We went by a couple neighborhoods, before we came to a house that was almost entirely made of stone. It had a nice front porch and, surprisingly, a small airstrip in the backyard.

I saw someone sitting in a chair on the front porch, reading a book. She looked about my age, blond hair, a petite frame. At first glance, I didn't think anything of her, but then I saw her eyes, and the book she was reading. Immediately, I slammed on the breaks and let off the throttle. She must've heard me skid to a stop, because she looked up quickly, right as I was taking off my helmet.

I heard my friends stop after they realized I had stopped, and they asked me what I was doing. "Percy, what's up man?" Jason asked in worry. As soon as he said my name, the girl gasped.

"Percy?" she asked. I stared at her for a second, before putting my helmet back on and speeding off as fast as I could, seeing as there was not traffic.

After a couple of miles, I parked in a spot of a Walmart parking lot, putting my head on my handle bars. A couple minutes later, I heard my friends pull in and park next to me.

"Percy, who the hell was that?" Nico asked in irritation. I lifted my head and took off my helmet.

"That was the girl that ruined my life 7 months ago, Annabeth Chase." I told them, pain lacing my voice. Their jaws dropped in shock.

"I thought she lived in New York?" Jason asked.

"She did. I guess she moved. Or maybe she's on vacation. I don't know!" I told them rapidly, not wanting to talk about it anymore.

"Perce... I think you should go talk to her." Jason said, hesitating slightly, as if scared of how I would react.

"NO! I am NOT talking to her!" I yelled at him. Luckily, no one else was in the parking lot, so no one heard.

"Percy, you can't keep living with this hatred, it'll drive you crazy." Nico continued for Jason. The wisdom of their words was shining through to me, but I just didn't want to believe it. I ignored them as they continued to tell me to talk to her.

"What, are you just too pussy to do it?" Nico asked sarcastically, though I could sense the underlying challenge.

"I'm too pussy to do it? You try having your life long best friend ruin your life and support the asshole that bullied you for a year!" I yelled at him. He flinched slightly at my tone, which made me feel bad. "Look, guys, I'm sorry. It's just really hard to see her, even after all this time." I apologized quickly, wanting to end the conversation as soon as possible.

"Look, man, we understand, but you have to face your fears and get over your hatred. It's only gonna make you crazy... er, well, crazier." Jason said, lightening the mood slightly.

"Yeah, I guess you guys are right. I just don't see how I'm gonna do it. It's gonna be so awkward. I mean, we haven't seen or talked to each other in months. Hell, even my friends from New York don't talk about her." I told them, a downcast look evident on my face.

"Yea, well, just go say hi, ask her why she did it, and get outta there ASAP, cause the meet starts in about half an hour." Jason said, salving half the problem. The other half was left up to me to fix... talking to her.

We drove back to her house to see no one on the front porch. I looked at my friends, and they gave me a nod. I shook my head sadly, taking off my helmet. I walked up to the door, and knocked, and after about five seconds, it flew open.

"PERCY! What are doing here!?" her dad asked as he looked me up and down. "Boy, have you grown!" he added as an afterthought. I chuckled nervously.

"Uh, is Annabeth here?" I asked him hesitantly.

"Oh, of course! She's in her room. Upstairs, second door on the left." he told me as he led me inside the house. I thanked him, and walked up the stairs nervously. I found her door, it was closed, so I knocked.

"Go away!" came the muffled response from inside, the voice of my best friend as recognizable as ever.

"Annabeth?" I asked shakily. I heard her gasp, and before I knew it, the door was flung open and I was enveloped in a hug, her tears soaking the shoulder of my jacket.

After a moment, she became still, and I hugged her back, missing the warmth of my best friend's embrace. "Oh, Percy! I missed you so much!" she said as she let go.

"Why, Annabeth? Why did you say those hateful things to me?" I asked her. She flinched visibly.

"I don't know! I didn't mean to! I didn't mean a single thing I said that day!" she exclaimed. "Please forgive me? Please please please please!" she begged. I didn't like to see her beg, it made my strong best friend seem weak.

"Okay, I think I forgive you." I told her quietly. A huge smile stretched across her face, showing off her pearly whites.

"So will you come back to New York?" she asked excitedly.

"Hell no! I have an amazing life here. I have friends, I'm popular, I'm doing great in school, both my dad and I have girlfriends! I can't go back to that hell hole!" I told her incredulously. I could see her flinch when I said I had a girlfriend.

"But... but you can't leave me to go back there and be alone again!" she said, tears welling up in her eyes again.

"Why don't you just buy a house in LA? Your dad has money! You could easily buy a nice two story house by the beach!" I told her in exasperation.

"I guess I could ask my dad. But we'd still have to go back to New York to pack everything up and all." she said, drying her tears with her sleeve.

"That's alright, because I'll help you move into your new house." I told her, which brought a bright smile to her face.

"Well, Annie, I gotta go. Gotta get to a meeting! I'll come see you afterwards, though." I told her as I hugged her and began backing up towards the stairs. She smiled and said bye, and I ran downstairs, saying bye to her dad and mom, and running outside, a smile on my face.

I zipped up my jacket and put on my helmet as I mounted it. Nico and Jason had been lounging around on their bikes while I was inside.

"So, you have a good time?" Nico asked as he started his bike.

"Not now, Neeks. I'll tell y'all later." I told them as we began speeding off. We made it to the meet with five minutes to spare. After that was over, I went back to see Annabeth while the guys went to check us into a hotel. Annabeth and I walked her parents into looking for a house in LA, close to the docks we used for 4th of July parties.

After that was settled, and Annie and I caught up on the others lives, I headed to the hotel for some sleep. The next day would be a long one, that was for sure.

**Hey guys, thanks for reading. I'm really sorry for changing the plot like this, but I just don't want to ruin Percy's great life. Obviously, it's gonna take a bit longer for his parents to reconcile, so that won't be for a couple of chapters. I know Percy forgave Annabeth pretty quick, but with them being one of my favorite couples, I don't like having them fight. Also, y'all will find out what will happen with Percy and Arty soon, probably not next chapter, though. Well, don't forget to review and follow. Adios.**

**Your loyal author,**

**-TheSonOfApollo**


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